A few weeks ago, I visited Columbus, Ohio with Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest tour. The region is cultivating an environment filled with communities, companies, education, and entertainment. As you walk through the downtown streets, businesses are buzzing with activity and the food…

There’s nothing better than a little startup competition to make you appreciate your ecosystem. It motivates founders, spurs innovation, and injects some much-needed capital into any city looking to make technology a priority. And if you’re looking for a countrywide competition that is doing…

On the road again, I can’t wait to get on the road again. That’s the tune that’s running through my head this morning as Steve Case and the Rise of the Rest team announced this morning will be hitting the road again for the 6th…

The mission to become the “next Silicon Valley” has become a trite endeavor as every city outside of the San Francisco bay area has attempted to spur the connectivity, capital, talent, and success potential that it has to offer. Let’s not forget, Silicon Valley…

The theme of Wake Up, Disrupt, Sleep, Repeat, was in full effect at Columbus Startup Week powered by Chase for Business. Over 3,000 small business owners and tech founders were treated to a week-long worth of 85 sessions including workshops, engaging panels, keynotes by…

In his book, Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance gives the world insight to his upbringing in Middletown, Ohio where people faced extensive socioeconomic barriers in a poverty-stricken town. From his mother’s multiple marriages and growing opioid addiction and absent father to finding sanctuary with his…

While the entrepreneurial experience can be hectic, stressful, and downright hard at times, veterans are often prepared to run a business because of the skills they learn in the service. From being accountable for everything you do to understanding the importance of adaptability, veterans…

The 1st annual Columbus Startup Week Pitch Competition kicked off on May 8, the first evening of the five-day entrepreneur celebration. The best of Columbus gathered on stage to present their pitches in competition for $50,000 in advertising prizes from sponsor Dispatch Media Group, as well as…

With no business plan or working capital, it can be hard to build a business. However a driven work ethic, unending passion, and some family recipes, Lisa and Vincente Gutierrez opened their food truck business, Dos Hermanos Taco Truck, and rolled right into entrepreneurship. The…

A supportive startup ecosystem is more valuable to a budding company than any round of funding. By providing startup founders with skilled employees, lucrative partnerships, and more than enough capital, an involved community can make starting up seem a little less daunting. Fortunately, a…

Art galleries, gardens and playgrounds to breweries and Buckeye football, Columbus brings out some of the best from the Ohio community. In between all the activities there is a bubbling entrepreneurial ecosystem filled with startups from a variety of verticals including fashion, finance and…

Every startup at some point must determine how to properly finance their business, but for some people, taking into consideration the necessary steps to even get to the point of receiving that funding can sometimes become a mere afterthought. At Columbus Startup Week, the…

As Columbus Startup Week comes drawing to an end, the feeling of excitement surrounding local entrepreneurs and startups in the area is here to stay. It’s been a busy week of learning from the best in the field while giving local startups space to…

When you think of cities with bustling startup scenes, Columbus, OH is probably not one of the first that spring to mind. But what does come to mind when you think of Columbus? A modest, Midwest, blue-collar city? The home of the Buckeyes and the original Wendy’s?…

Sometimes, encouraging words can come from those you least expect, even complete strangers. Social media has proven to be a tool for both positive messages to strangers, or online bullying. Famafox wants to create a more positive world by encouraging positive communication, while leveraging the power of anonymity….

What does it take to become a successful Chief Operations Officer – or more so a leader, and someone that young entrepreneurs can emulate? Everyone’s answers to this question will vary, but I think we could agree on a few qualities: motivation, the ability…

A few months ago, Lucas Williamson and Scott Scherpenberg, two young entrepreneurs and the co-founders of Juiceboxx, didn’t know they would make more than $30,000 to help launch their startup. Despite the fact that some entrepreneurs rely only on investors and college business plan…